Truths, representationalism and disciplinarity in Khoesan researches

Abstract

Khoesan studies today are the province of researchers in diverse disciplines, with markedly different epistemologies and priorities. In this article I consider Khoesan representations in relation to disciplinarity, and work designed to move beyond it, for instance, through creative curation. From a phenomenological perspective, an under-appreciated problem is that of 'representationalism' or a divide between 'the world and its meanings'. From this perspective, new practices and ways of working are required in order to discover new forms that are appropriate to the subjects of study, namely Khoesan peoples.